Science and reality
Suppose the moon was a cube instead of a sphere. What would the phases of the moon look like as seen from Earth?
The post If the Moon Were a Cube, What Would Its Phases Look Like? appeared first on WIRED.
Sphero has a toy version of the BB-8 droid from Star Wars VII. How does it work? Magnets?
The post The Physics of How That Star Wars BB-8 Toy Works appeared first on WIRED.
In MotoGP races, you will often see motorcycles in a turn with extreme lean angles. Can we calculate the lean angle based on turning acceleration and coefficient of friction? Yes.
The post Just How Far Can a Motorcycle Lean in a Turn? appeared first on WIRED.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke does a one-armed handstand with Yoda balanced on his foot. Using this, I can estimate the mass of Yoda.
The post I Used Physics to Calculate How Much Yoda Weighs appeared first on WIRED.
What is scientific literacy and how do you measure it?
The post What Does Scientific Literacy Really Mean? appeared first on WIRED.
In The Martian astronauts use a spinning spacecraft to create artificial gravity. How does this compare to other spacecraft?
The post How That Spinning Spacecraft From The Martian Would Work appeared first on WIRED.
Fans are a great way to cool you off on a hot day, but they don't cool everything off.
The post Why Fans Don’t Always Make Things Cooler appeared first on WIRED.
Using computers to solve physics problems isn't new, but very few introductory courses utilize this technique. I think it's time for a change.
The post You Should Be Coding in Your Physics Course appeared first on WIRED.
When a motorcycle turns, it leans. Why do these motorcycles lean so far while taking tight turns?
The post How Do Motorcycles Lean So Far Without Tipping Over? appeared first on WIRED.
This awesome video shows a shark jumping out of the water like a rocket. What can we learn from a video analysis?
The post Watch This Leaping Great White Shark Get Some Serious Air appeared first on WIRED.